I woke up this morning, feeling wonderful. Birds were chirping, sun was shining, and I got to sleep in. I should have known something was up. Sure enough as I started looking through some baseball news and I read this:
"The thing that most people are forgetting and haven't talked about is the strikeout in Yankee Stadium," Lobel said. "The bat on the shoulder for the three pitches from Mariano Rivera. That was a big [expletive] to the Red Sox after the fine. I'm just telling you ... there are things in the front office that are perceived ... I'm saying that there is a strong feeling that that [three-pitch strikeout] was the message to the Red Sox and it's a strong feeling that that's unacceptable ... there's a feeling that he didn't give it his all, let's put it that way ... I'm just saying the front office has not forgotten that moment. It's akin to Nomar sitting on the bench [in a game in which Derek Jeter dove into the stands at Yankee Stadium in 2004]. It's the same thing. It's an at bat that resonated very strongly in the front office."
Good Jesus. What the hell is wrong with the Globe publishing anything Bob Lobel, former sports caster from Channel 5 in Boston, has to say? This is why people think Boston fans are stupid.
If anyone watched that at bat, they would remember that Rivera threw three perfect pitches that just kissed the black ot the paint. Manny checked his swing on the last pitch. Here is a picture:
Does that look like someone just sitting there with his bat on shoulder? Also why would Manny decide to ruin an at bat a week after he was 'fined"? Save it for later? He knew he was going to be pinch hit in the wrong spot by Francona (why Varitek got into to hit is beyond me).
There is no doubt Manny is capable of acting like a child if things don't go his way. But there is a major flaw to Bob Lobel's call for attention. I would believe if it Lobel said Manny arrived late to a game. I would believe it if Lobel said Manny in his two games in the field has not been hustling to balls. I would even believe it if Lobel said Manny was so mad, he invented a time machine, went back and assassinated Archduke Ferninand starting World War I. That just Manny being Manny. I can't believe Manny would ever blow an at bat especially in Yankee Stadium.
No matter what bullshit Manny pulls, he would never deviate his approach at the plate. If Manny was still mad, he would have just sat on the bench and refused to pinch hit for Cash (just as good as purposely striking out by the way). Manny has never let any of the bullshit surrounding him change the fact is he one of the methodical hitters ever to live. When Manny is in the batter's box, he is probably one of the most professional players in the game. It's outside of the box that all the problems occur.
I also enjoy how this thing completely undervalues the dominance of Rivera this season as well as in that at bat. Rivera pitched Ramirez perfectly and Ramirez was sending a message? Thats almost a compliment to Manny if it wasn't a veiled attack by an attention whore.
Why would Bob Lobel do that? Well he was fired earlier in the year and still doesn't have work. What better way to get some attention to go on "All New England Idiot Radio" WEEI, and say inflammatory comments towards Manny. He will be back on WEEI all week to talk about it, and people will once again believe he is credible inside source to the Red Sox FO. It won't matter that credible reporters like Edes will say the story was complete bullshit.
Why can't we get reporters like Edes on the radio in this town?
Sidenote - I love Lobel used the Jeter into the stands analogy. Especially since Jeter ended up injuring himself causing him to sitting and mope just like Nomar across the way. The move is now illegal in MLB because it endangers the fans, and honestly it lacks intelligence. If the Red Sox wanted someone to haphazardly chase balls into the stands, they could have got a Golden Retriever.
Nomar was on his way out regardless of the infinitely stupid actions of Captain Intangibles.
1 comment:
"Doing nothing was Manny's way of slapping us in the face," says a team executive. The Yanks won the game in the 10th inning. "I was surprised he didn't take the bat off his shoulder," Rivera said. "I don't know what he was thinking."
His bat did leave his shoulder, you just pitched well. I can't wait for Rivera being booed at Fenway. What a putz between this and the Daily News mutilating what Papelbon said and his response.
Post a Comment